Already embarking on his most mainstream film to date with the comedy, Birdman, it seemed odd that he would go from that to a potential blockbuster like The Jungle Book. Last month it looked as if Warner Bros. had snapped him up for their adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling book, but now he's had a change of heart and bounced from the project.
Deadline reports scheduling conflicts as the reason for Inarritu's departure, and it may be due to his plans to finally get moving on long-developing revenge film, The Revenant. A new director will have to be found for the film, being developed by Hollywood powerhouse Steve Kloves and written by his daughter, Callie.
Meanwhile, Disney is still moving forward with their rival live-action version to be directed by Jon Favreau.
